Road-cart



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

G. BRYANTON.

ROAD CART.

N0. 423,307'. Patented Mar. 11,- 1890.

Witness es:

Inv e n in 7. 6.

N PETERS. Pholo-Lithognphar. Washinglon. n. c.

(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-She et 2. G. BRYANTON.

ROAD CART Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

Witnesses,-

N PETERa PhuloLithogmphM, Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BRYANTON, OF GHENT, KENTUCKY.

ROAD-CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,307, dated March11, 1890.

Application filed December 30, 1889- Serial No. 335,308. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BRYANTON, of Ghent, in the county of Carrolland State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Road-Carts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in road-carts; and it consists inthe combination of the shafts, suitable springs, a platform mounted uponthe two end springs, a body pivoted upon the platform, and an equalizingmechanism, as will be more fully describedhereinafter.

The object of my invention is to produce a road-cart in which the partsare so constructed and arranged that all horse motion is done away with,and in which all of the weight of the vehicle is divided equally betweenthe springs.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cart which embodies my invention, thewheels being removed. Fig. 2 is a rear end view. Fig. 3 is an invertedview. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the equalizing mechanism.

A represents the shafts, which are connected together by the cross-pieceB in advance of the front end of the body. The rear ends of the shaftare pivoted by suitable castings O, secured to their under sides uponthe tops of the blocks D, which are secured upon the tops of the endsprings E. Secured upon the top of each block D is a plate or casting F,which has an eye or bend upon its front end, and the rear end of eachplate is turned over, so as to form a portion of the joint, by means ofwhich the slotted plates G are loosely connected to the plates F. Therear ends of the castings O are made screw-threaded and passed throughthe slotted plates G, as shown, and secured in any desired position inrelation to the plates G by means of suitable clampingmuts. By means ofthe blocks D, plates F G, and castings C the shafts A can be adjusted soas to adapt them either for high or low horses, and thus not change thehorizontal position of the body.

The end springs E are clamped upon the axle, and connected to each endof these springs by suitable shackles H are the springs I, which havethe blocks J secured to them at their centers. These blocks J, placedupon the upper sides of the springs 1, form solid supports or bearingsfor the platform K, which is rigidly secured upon them. The body 0 'ispivoted by means of a suitable bolt upon the platform, so as to have aslight turning movement thereon, and secured upon the top of theplatform are suitable plates L, and secured to the under side of thebody 0 are plates M, which rest upon the plates L. These plates L and Mprevent the turning movement of the body from wearing or injuring thetop of the platform K, and at the same time limit, by the turned -upends of the plates L, the distance the body shall turn upon its pivot.To the front end of thebody O, by means of the bent rod or bar N, whichextends under the cross-bar B, is attached the singletree 0, so that thehorse holds the body straight upon the platform, and the shafts can playback and forth with the motion of the horse without affecting the bodyin any way. The platform acts as a fifthwheel, upon which the bodyturns, and thus the horses motion is not communicated to it. The bodyturns just far enough upon the platform to take the side motion or jarwhen the wheels strike an obstruction.

Secured to each of the blocks J, on the under side of the platform K,are suitable ears P, and pivoted between the ears 011 the rear "blockare the short hangers or plates Q, to

which the rear end of the lever B, pivoted upon the plate S, secured bysuitable rods upon the top of the axle, is pivoted. To the front end ofthis lever B is pivoted the hang ers T, and to the lower end of thesehangers is pivoted the lever N, which is pivoted in a suitable supportV, secured to the under side of the axle. To the front end of the leverN is pivoted the hanger \V, which is pivoted at its upper end to theears 1? upon the rear side of the front block J. The four springs E Ibeing connected together at their ends, all weightin the body 0 isdistributed through the platform K by the equalizing mechanism justdescribed to all four of the springs, so

that no one spring has a greater weight orstrain placed upon it thananother.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of theshafts, the end springs, blocks secured upon the tops of the springs,the plates F, secured to the blocks, the castings C, secured to theshafts, and the slotted plates G, whereby the angle of the shafts can bechanged, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the shafts rigidly connected together, thecastings C, secured to their rear ends and provided with screwthreads,thesupporting-blocks D, the platesE;

and the slotted plates G, looselyconnected to the ends of the plates F,and the clampingnuts applied to the screw-threaded portions of thecastings O, substantially as described.

3. In a road-cart, the combination of the platform, the body Verticallypivoted thereon so as to have a rotary movement, the rod se-Z curedtofthe front end of the body, and the singletree secured to the rod,whereby the draft .is applied to the body and lateral movementthereofwith the shafts prevented, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the platform and the plates L, secured thereto andprovided with stops, with the body 0, pivoted upon the platform,theplates L, secured to the underside of the body and resting on the platesM, the rod N, secured to the front end of the body, and the singletre'e,substantially as described.

5. The combination of the two sets of springs, one set of which issecured to the axle and the other to the platform, and an equalizingmechanism to connect the springs together, so that the weight in thebody will be distributed upon the two sets of springs alike,substantially as set forth.

6.'The combination of the platform, the springs H, secured thereto,thesprin'gs E, and the axle with thehangers Q T'Wand'the lieversR U,substantiallyas specified.

Iu-tejstimony whereof'I affix mysignaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE BRYANTON.

Witnesses: R1} O JWIL LIAMS,

DJL. RICE.

